Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea is likely to take the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, according to manager Craig Counsell. The Cubs are looking to fill a void in the starting rotation with Justin Steele (elbow) landing on the injured list. This team is also without Javier Assad (forearm) so Rea seems to be the most logical next choice. Rea has made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Cubs, but could be a short term option in the rotation. He registered a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 135/43 K/BB ratio across 32 games (27 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers last season. Rea could be a viable rotational piece, but isn't someone to be considered a strong streaming option against the Dodgers lineup.
Colin Rea Could Be Favorite For Fifth Rotation Spot
With Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad currently dealing with a left-oblique injury, right-hander Colin Rea could become the favorite to win the fifth spot in the Opening Day starting rotation. The team's top four starters entering the 2025 season should be lefties Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd, and right-hander Jameson Taillon. In addition to Rea, righty Ben Brown and left-hander Jordan Wicks will be competing for a rotation spot if Assad's injury sidelines him into the regular season. The 34-year-old Rea appeared in 58 games (49 starts) for the Milwaukee Brewers the last two seasons and pitched to a 4.40 ERA (4.82 FIP) and 1.23 WHIP with a 245:81 K:BB in 292 1/3 frames. He struggled to keep the ball in the yard, but given his experience in a starting role, he could have a leg up on a rotation spot if Assad's injury lingers.
Colin Rea Could See Time As A Starter And Reliever
According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Colin Rea could see time in the rotation and the bullpen during the 2025 season. The Cubs signed Rea to a one-year contract worth $4.25 million earlier in the offseason. Bastian noted that Rea offers the Cubs protection as a potential swing-man. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress during spring training, as he will likely be competing with Javier Assad for the final spot in the rotation. Last season, Rea appeared in 32 games with the Brewers and started in 27 of them. Under Craig Counsell during the 2023 season, Rea appeared in 26 games and started 22 of them. Last summer, he held a 4.29 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP. He showed strong command with a six percent walk rate but generated strikeouts at a poor 18.9 percent rate. The 34-year-old is best left for deeper leagues as he may not have a defined role throughout most of the season.
According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, right-handed pitcher Colin Rea has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $6 million. Earlier this offseason, the Brewers declined Rea's option. The 34-year-old has spent the past three seasons with the Brewers. Last summer, Rea spent most of the season operating out of the starting rotation but will likely be deployed out of the bullpen in Chicago, given their depth at starting pitching. Across 167 2/3 innings of work, Rea held a 4.29 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He showed strong command with a 6.0% walk rate but struggled to generate strikeouts as he posted an underwhelming 18.9% clip. He also generated a poor 4.91 xERA and .272 xBA, both well below the average marks. Rea could eventually join the rotation later in the season but is best left as a streaming option in deeper NL-only formats.
The Milwaukee Brewers are declining their 2025 club option on right-handed pitcher Colin Rea, which sends him to free agency, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Rea started a career-high 27 games in 2024 and logged a career-high 167 2/3 innings in the process. He posted a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP, with a 43:115 BB:K ratio. The Indiana State product showed excellent command with a solid 6.0% walk rate, placing him in the 81st percentile among qualified hitters. However, he generated whiffs at a poor 19.3% rate and allowed hard contact at a hefty 42.0% rate. Fantasy managers should expect Rea to find a new home in 2025 serving as a back-end starting pitcher.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Colin Rea was deployed in a long-relief role on Monday and could be shifting to a permanent role in the bullpen, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. In addition, McCalvy noted that Rea does not appear among the probable starting pitchers in their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since the start of August, Rea has held a 6.05 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 4:33 BB:K ratio across 38 2/3 innings of work as a starter. Under the hood, the 34-year-old holds a 9.2% barrel rate and a 41.8% hard-hit rate, which place him in the bottom 21st and 23rd percentile among qualified pitchers, respectively. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Milwaukee rotation this weekend, as it could suggest who will be deployed as a starter in October.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Colin Rea improved to 11-4 on the season by shutting out the Cleveland Guardians over seven innings, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts. Rea has a 3.52 ERA and 1.15 WHIP this season over 135 1/3 innings pitched with 108 strikeouts. He doesn't boast a high strikeout rate, but outings like these show how effective he can be and has been for the most part this season. The right-hander is turning in a breakout season for the Brew Crew.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Colin Rea continued his strong season in Tuesday's 10-0 rout of the Braves. Rea pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. The 34-year-old is having a career season, going 10-3 with a 3.38 ERA, a 7.28 K/9 rate, and a 2.65 BB/9 rate in 22 appearances (19 starts) and 122 1/3 IP. He has allowed a lot of hard contact and has significantly outperformed his underlying metrics, but fantasy managers can't argue with his peripherals this season. He will face a decent matchup in his next start against the Reds and is worth starting in at least deeper leagues.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Colin Rea turned in a great start in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Cubs. Rea pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. The 34-year-old has pitched well both in a traditional starter's role and as a bulk reliever, going 9-3 with a 3.60 ERA, a 6.87 K/9 rate, and a 2.70 BB/9 rate in 20 appearances (17 starts) and 110 IP. While his results have been respectable, Rea has allowed a lot of hard contact, so fantasy managers should be wary of potential regression in the second half. Until then, he and fantasy managers will look to take advantage of a middling Braves matchup in his next scheduled start.
Rob Zastryzny Starting On Sunday, Colin Rea To Follow As Bulk Reliever
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Rob Zastryzny will serve as the opener for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Washington Nationals, with right-hander Colin Rea set to serve as the bulk reliever. It will be Zastryzny's second opening assignment for the Brew Crew this year. In his first "start" for Milwaukee on July 1 against the Colorado Rockies, the 32-year-old southpaw produced a scoreless inning. Because he'll only go an inning or two at the most, Zastryzny can be ignored in fantasy. Rea is being protected as a bulk reliever on Sunday after he gave up a season-high seven earned runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last outing on Tuesday. The 34-year-old veteran went seven shutout innings on July 3 with four strikeouts, so he'll be hoping for a bounce-back outing heading into next week's All-Star break.
